The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-20
TIE wooL TARIFF,
A Woman who Knows what She Ia Talking
About-Sono Fine Points Advanced. n

About-Somo Fine Points Advanced.
Eliza McVey, Of Athens, Ohio, writes as
follows to the Pittsburgh Slockman: In |
the Stockman Of April IA notice an arti.
Gle on the above subject from the pen OF
J. P. steely. In the first place no denles
that the tarid Of 1867 has held sheep at a |
more uniform valuation than ever before
nthe history Of wool growing, and says
that our neighbors engaged in other pur.
suits, and those not interested In the wool
buaineaa, have kept up this uniform valaa.
ton without receiving any benefit there.
from. This ! deny, and shall draw a
comparison between the workings OF the
present tariff and that OF 1867. We will
suppose Mr.. 3. owns farm Of l90 acren
that will support 100 head OF sheep, that
will produce 1000 lbs. oil wool, worth 5000,
o. COO q pound, and 80 head OF surplus
sheep worth 5000, the proceeds aggregatlng
$500 In one year, under the tariff Of 1867,
The result Ia he has money 10 expend In
improvements, lie employs carpenter A.
to build him barn. He hires Mr.. G. on
tho farm. lie buys moro OF the merchant,
uses new aud improved farming utensils,
and provides more luxuIieH and comforts
for those around him, The mechanic, the
farm laborer, the manufacturer and the
merchant, were all common sharers In
the prosperity eccruing from tho tarif oil
1867. II extended 10 all branches Of bust.
ness and to all classes engaged In other
pursuits, aud caused the establishment OF
a marked enhancement OF national re-.
sources and the general welfare. ~,
Still MIR. s. claims that only about every
fifteenth farmer produces wool, and thie
fifteenth man, like leech, must suck the
substance from the other fourteen farmers
oil other stock. Mr.. s. we'll knows this is
wild figuring, and ho knows tina. the tariff
Of '07 did not take money out Of his pocket
to pay Peter or to bolater up the wool In.
dustry.
Now lot US look at the state OF affairs
under the present tariff. Mr.. B receives
SOC per pound Tor his wool and 500 for 80
head Of eheep; proceeds from the flock,
S400, making difference OF one.halt IN.
der the present tariff and TINT OF '67. The
result is he has to practice such rigid eco.
nomy that hs has no money to expend in
improvements. He cannot employ the
mechanic or farm laborer. He cannot
patronize tho merchant "a he did under
the tariff OF 'G7. Thus you zee that 1t
cuta OF the supplied Of all classes, for their
prosperity and welfare are 30 intimately
connected with that OF the producer that
reduction OF the tariff muat injure all
classes. Mr.. D. ia compelled to curtail his
, outlay in order 10 pay taxes and keep MP
necessary expenses. In short he must
live within his means.
There Ia one item that Mr.. s. has over
looked, and that 10 that a large majority OF
the wool.produclng districts arc only
adapted to the production OF wool, and
they depend In a great measure on the
corn-producing districts for their suppliea
Of corn and pork. Then 1t is evident a
, reduction OF the tariff would injure these
, industries. If under the tariff OF 1867 the
laboring man could get from s. to So per
day for his labor, while to-day he is out OF
employment, it should be evident that the
, old tariff was a national source OF wealth.
This, as think, is true snslysis Of the
problem OF protection and free trade.
Mr.. s seems to have but one idea, and
that is that tho wool producer ia the only
man that reaps any benefit from protec-
tive tariff. This one-idea mania 10 dan
gerous. BE might get like the man that
wouldn't eat anything but cabbsge, and
finally died with collie.
In former article Mr.. s. advocsten a
very low tariff on all home production,
that the government may ret some reye.
nue. aud create aheslthy competition at
the same time. This ia Mr.. Steely's doc
trine. We have been trying it for the last
l fotr, bod
which if continued would annihiate the
wool industry. No, Mr.. S., ! don't think
this the way to invite healthy COMPETE
ton. Our government should offer every
Involvement to its people to stimulate
them 10 develop the almost unlimited
natural renources OF our country, and
utilize them to tho production OF y DOL
and everything We need, not by throwing
open our ports to every other nation on
the globe, but by high protective tariff
on everything We produce In quantity
equal to tho demand.
believe wool-growing should be and is
fully entitled to the protection afforded it
in the era in which that industry made
Its greatest progress, and in the event of
an increase OF tariff would accord to the
manufacturing interest and all others such
terms as would be equitable and right.
How inconsintent it wouid be for us to
eend our money to England, for their po-
litical schemers Of that country and placed
in the pockets Of their free trade allies in
America TO stimulate them to introduce
Tree trade doctrines in our country!
believe We should Danish this free
trade doctrine from our land, and the in
| oivniff propoaft;ou IT n Eit1o k,.;H T..
revenue only, as we are an independept
nation. How inconsistent to advocate
ouch doctrines, when almost all other na.
tons, without exception, compel us to
pay duties on everything we produce and
export thas comes in competition with
their productions! Let us have broader
and more comprehensive views, and at no
distant period We will be a prosperous
nation. Yal - -,
1 T.